Kingston Canada
From CruisersWiki
Kingston Port of Entry
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Kingston is a city in eastern Ontario, Canada. It is on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The metropolitan area has 161,175 inhabitants. The Thousand Islands tourist region is nearby to the east. Kingston is nicknamed the "Limestone City" because of the many heritage buildings constructed using local limestone.
Kingston is among the oldest permanent settlements on the Great Lakes, and is sometimes referred to as the "freshwater sailing capital of North America". A university town for over 150 years, the city has a compact, bustling European-style downtown with a wide variety of shops and restaurants. Dozens of museums and historical sites are located throughout the town. Marinas, anchoring space and marine services are plentiful, and downtown Kingston is easy to navigate on foot or by bus.
Charts
- Canadian Hydrographic Service chart 1439 covers Kingston and the immediate surroundings. Charts 2018 and 2064 cover the approach from the west; charts 1429 through 1438 cover the approach from the east via the St. Lawrence River. Chart 1513 covers the Kingston inner harbour and the approach from the north via the Rideau Canal.
- CHS electronic chart pack CEN-C (St. Lawrence River) includes ENC vector charts of the Kingston area. The city is also reasonably well covered by CM93 charts and is roughly covered by the American NOAA ENCs for Coast Guard District 9.
See also Ontario.
Weather
Give local weather conditions or refer to another page (a region or island group) that covers these conditions.
Sources for Weather forecasts:
Passages
See Ontario.
Islands
- Thousand Islands
Communication
Add here VHF channel for the coastguard, harbor masters. etc.
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
Kingston's waterfront rests above a large magnetic anomaly; compasses may be out by as much as 30 degrees between Kingston and Wolfe Island. The approach should be made visually, with GPS and radar backup if available.
Approaching from the east, yachts should turn north through the channel marked by buoys PV1 and PV2 to go north of Wolfe Island; the channel south of the island is dominated by large ship traffic. The channel is wide and relatively clear; a handful of notable obstructions are well marked.
The approach from the west includes several shoals and small islands that must be avoided, but the safe channel is well marked and is at least half a mile wide.
Yachts approaching from the north via the Rideau Canal can follow the channel buoys from Kingston Mills to the Inner Harbour. The navigable channel is quite narrow, and vessels drawing more than 60 cm should not leave the marked channel. A no-wake 5 knot speed limit applies near Kingston Mills and when passing Rideau Marina.
Entrance
Kingston Canada is a port of entry/exit for Canada. For details see Entrance: Canada.
Berthing
Kingston Canada is a ferry terminal and has several marinas.
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
Confederation Basin Marina

Large city-owned marina in the heart of the downtown. The marina features 350 slip finger docks that can accommodate both power and sailboats to a maximum length of 100 feet (30 m). and draught max 22 m. Water, electricity, toilets, showers. 24 security. Transient slips for boats to ~10 m are usually plentiful on all but the busiest summer weekends, and this marina often has space for much larger vessels if you call ahead.
- [email protected]; Tel: +1 (613) 546 4291, ext 1823; Fax: +XX (XXX) XXXXXX; VHF channel 68
- Address: 6 Clarence St, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 2Y7
- Hours: Sept. 5 to Oct. 31: 08:00 - 20:00 but dockhands only Thursdays 15:00 - 20:00
Kingston Marina
The marina has 105 slips for vessels up to 200' (60.96 m), max depth 3' (1 m). Water, electricity, showers, toilets, laundry, WiFi, fuel dock. Pumpout. 75-Ton crane, haul-out service, work provided by contractors. 2 blocks from grocery store.
- [email protected]; Tel: +1 (613) 549 7747; Fax: +1 (613) 542-6515; VHF channel 68
- Address: 349 Wellingston St, Kingston ON K7K, 6N7 Canada
- Hours: 0800 - 18:00
- Prices: For the latest prices see Price Listing
Kingston Yacht Club

Private club within walking distance of downtown. Minimal transient space, call well in advance of arrival to see if they're accepting visitors. Water, electricity, showers, toilets, WiFi, fuel dock. Bar & lounge.
- [email protected]; Tel: +1 (613) 548 3052 ; Fax: +1 (613) 548 8876; VHF channel 68
- Address: Kingston Yacht Club, 1 Maitland Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 2V3
Portsmouth Olympic Harbour

Another large city-owned marina but farther from downtown then Confederation Basin Marina. 300 berth marina is directly north of the Penitentiary Shoal in the Kingston Harbour. Water, electricity, showers, toilets, WiFi, fuel dock. Manual jib crane (600 lb limit)
- [email protected]; Tel: +1 (613) 546 4291 ext.1827; Fax: +1 (613) 384 3055; VHF channel XX
- Address: 53 Yonge St., Kingston, ON, Canada K7M 6G4
Rideau Marina
Private facility at lake level on the Rideau Canal; mainly powerboat-oriented. 50 mooring, max length 9 m, max draught 5 m. Water, electricity, showers, toilets, laundry, fuel dock. Repair workshops and 25 ton travel hoist. Restaurants, supermarket, etc., within a 10 minute walking distance.
- [email protected]; Tel: +1 (613) 546 6234; Fax: +1 (613) 546 9115; VHF channel 68
- Address: 48A Point St. Mark Dr, Kingston, ON, Canada K7K 6L4
Collins Bay Marina

Collins Bay Marina is a large private marina in the city's west with 300 slips for boats up to 50' (15 m). Water, electricity, showers, toilets, WiFi, fuel dock. Winter storage.
- [email protected]; Tel: +1 (613) 389 4455, +1 (888) 748 55575; Fax: +1 (613) 389 8617; VHF channel 68
- Address: 1270 Coverdale Drive, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7M 8X7
- Hours: 09:00 - 17:00
- Prices: For the latest prices see Price Listing
Treasure Island Marina

Water, electricity, showers, toilets, laundry. Pumpout. restaurant and bar.
- [email protected]; Tel: +1 (613) 548 1239; Fax: +XX (XXX) XXXXXX; VHF channel XX
- Address: 1753 Highway #2, East, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V1
Trident Yacht Club

Situated on the Bateau Channel. It welcomes visiting yachtsmen.
- [email protected]; Tel: +1 (613) 382 2771; Fax: +XX (XXX) XXXXXX; VHF channel XX
- Address: Trident Yacht Club, P.O. Box 93, Gananoque On, Canada K7G 2T6
Anchorages
Anchoring in the immediate vicinity of downtown Kingston is not recommended. There is a lot of boat traffic and a rocky lee shore along the Lake Ontario waterfront.
Inner Harbour
Deadman Bay
East of Simcoe Island

Big Sandy Bay
Cataraqui Bay
Amenities
Facilities | |
---|---|
Water | In all marinas |
Electricity | In all marinas |
Toilets | In all marinas |
Showers | In all marinas |
Laundry | In Kingston Marina, Rideau Marina, Rideau Marina, Collins Bay Marina, Treasure Island Marina |
Garbage | ? |
Supplies | |
Fuel | Fuel dock in Kingston Marina, Kingston Yacht Club, Portsmouth Olympic, Rideau Marina, Collins Bay Marina |
Bottled gas | ? |
Chandlers |
|
Services | |
Repairs | In Kingston Marina, Rideau Marina |
Internet | WiFi in Kingston Marina, Kingston Yacht Club, Portsmouth Olympic, Rideau Marina, Collins Bay Marina |
Mobile connectivity | ? |
Vehicle rentals | ? |
Provisioning
- Grocery store 2 blocks from Kingston Marina
- Supermarket within a 10-minute walking distance from Rideau Marina
Eating out
- Restaurant within a 10-minute walking distance from Rideau Marina
Transportation
- Norman Rogers Municipal Airport (YGK IATA Kingston Airport
- Wolfe Island Ferry
- Hornes' Ferry
- Kingston is served by train (Via Rail Canada)
- Buses (Coach Canada) run Toronto-Kingston-Montréal several times daily and one bus (Voyageur) visits Ottawa twice daily.
Tourism
History
Give a short history of the port.
Places to Visit
List places of interest, tours, etc.
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
- Kingston Canada at the Wikipedia
- Kingston Canada at the Wikivoyage
- Noonsite
References
See Canada.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Kingston Canada and this page's details validated:
- Compiled from research (pilot books, internet, etc.) September, 2018 --Istioploos
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